Bone Transform after Physics

I have a series of bone transforms in a post-process anim graph. I also have a full physics simulation on the same character, and unfortunately the physics simulation overrides all transforms except scale.

What’s the easiest way to apply an additive bone transform on a physicalized character?

AFAIK there is no way to modify bones after physics because all animations are handled before physics. I was really hoping that “post process” meant exactly what you would think, but it doesn’t appear to be the case. The post process animation happens after the main animation but not after physics – which I thought made it pretty pointless.

I really hope I’m wrong, but I thought I’d share cuz I did try it and it didn’t work as I had expected. Did you try using breakpoints and/or print-strings to see what order things are happening in?

I tried it when they first announced it on the livestream. I remember I started excited and ended disappointed. I’m afraid I don’t remember too much else.

And I think it’s likely that physics doesn’t override scale because it doesn’t affect scale at all.

Thanks for a quick response. I investigated ways of transforming the bones in C++, but unless you use a poseable mesh component it’s not easy. Like you, I was hoping post-process anim graphs would evaluate after physics. The C++ comments and what it says in the skeletal mesh contradict one another. In C++ it says it will happen after physics, but the skeletal mesh says it happens before.

Here’s to hoping Epic adds a way to add bone transforms on top of physics.

It might be possible with some changes to the engine source. I never looked into the animation side but you can get a tick event that happens after physics has run (PostPhysics tick group). I use it in my plugin. Then it’s just a matter of getting access to the bones before they are finalized in some way.

Also, what are you trying to do? It may be possible another way.